Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini, also known as Leo Messi is an Argentine footballer who also holds Spanish nationality since 2005. Plays as a striker for F. C
Since 2009 is considered by many sporting bodies, by several players, by legendary host of former players, coaches and the media in general as "the current best player in the world" and for some athletes, players and coaches the best ever. On Thursday, January 24, 2013 the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, also highlighted the best in the world He received the award for Best World Player and FIFA Golden Ball in 2009. It is also the first winner of the Golden Ball FIFA since 2010 includes both awards, again winning the 2011 and 2012 editions.
Leo Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by FC Barcelona. He left Rosario-while active in the Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys, and moved to Europe at age 13 with his family, where the Barcelona offered to pay the expenses of its hormonal disease (900 per month). He made his debut in the first team of FC Barcelona on November 16, 2003 in a friendly match against FC Porto trained by Jose Mourinho.60 However its debut in an official match came the following year, in the season 2004/2005, in league against RCD Espanyol. Messi managed convirtirse at age 16, the youngest player in Barcelona in a game of the First Division of the Spanish League. Barcelona eventually won League 2004/2005 and the following year the club did the double winning the Champions League 2005/06 UEFA. His breakthrough season was in 2006/07. From that moment it became part of the starting lineup, where he scored a hat-trick in El Clásico against Real Madrid and ended the season with 14 goals in 26 games. The season 2008/2009 was that of his consecration as best player in the world at that time. Barcelona won the treble that season, and Messi scored a total of 38 goals. In season 2009/2010 Messi got a club record, scoring 47 goals, of which 34 were in league competition. This ended up taking the Golden Boot and equaling the record scorer Ronaldo 1996/1997.61 season In season 2010/2011, the Flea got some titles with his club. Among the list of winners stand fifth time the League and the Champions League Championship for the third time. Also was individually awarded the Golden Ball In season 2011/2012 Messi won the inaugural Best Player Award UEFA and later his third Ballon d'For individual figures, the Flea set a record historical world 73 official goals with FC Barcelona and surpassing the previous, Archie Stark, which was in force for 87 years. Also finalized a total of 82 official goals including those converted with Argentina and achieved a new record by converting 50 goals in La Liga (a record for the Golden Boot, beating Dudu Georgescu). In the Champions League UEFA struck five goals in a game (7-1 against Bayer Leverkusen), positioned as top scorer in a single edition of the tournament with 14 goals (reaching record José Altafini) and be 4 times in a row leading scorer. In season 2011/2012, Lionel got a series of record highs among which stand out the Guinness World Record for their 91 official goals in a year, the Golden Ball for the fourth time and the Golden Boot for the third time. By obtaining these two latest awards, Messi managed to position itself as the top solo winner of two of the major individual awards worldwide. Moreover, the Argentine won a couple of national titles, highlighting the League have obtained for the sixth time in nine years.
Messi is an outstanding player of the Argentina, where he currently serves as captain of equipo.62 In 2006 he became the youngest player in the Argentina to attend a World Cup, with which he won the runner-up in the 2007 Copa America. In 2008, Beijing Olympics, won his first international honor, the Medal of Gold at the end of 2011 was selected as one of 32 most popular personalities of the year by TIME magazine, running as a candidate for the "Person of the year ", being the only athlete nominated in the list. In 2012, Lionel Messi managed to score 12 goals in a year with the national team, matching the mark set in 1998 Gabriel Batistuta
